Borough Looks to Consolidate, Unify Main St. Signs

Borough Engineer Vincent DeNave and Police Officer Robert Sweetin, the traffic safety officer, want to beautify downtown by removing unnecessary signs.

Councilman Jim Collander said the Parking Task Force, a subcommittee of the Traffic Safety Committee, sought to take inventory of the borough's available parking and find ways to maximize utility by giving directional signs to the lots.

"We quickly realized that our way-finding signage ... was simply inadequate," Collander said. "We then decided to expand our view and examine all the signage downtown."

Sweetin and DeNave gave a photographic presentation of all the signs on both sides of Main Street between Hillside and Van Doren avenues. At each sign, the two have printed notes in the margins indicating what signs can be consolidated and which ones could be attached to one pole instead of multiple poles in close proximity.

"When you focus in on it, you start to realize, first of all, how many [signs] there are ... and what poor shape they're in," DeNave said.

The signs include ones for the United Church of Christ (Stanley Church). DeNave and Sweetin said they do not know who those signs belong to or who put them up.

There is also a white and green state sign pointing motorists to Meyersville (incorrectly spelled "Myersville" on the sign) and pedestrian crossing signs. "We have a lot of early-warning crossing signs, so eliminating some of those, we feel, is worth the effort," DeNave said.

Councilman Bruce Harris agreed. "People expect pedestrian crossings in a downtown," Harris said.

DeNave concluded the presentation by showing an example of wayfaring signs in Morristown, which give directions to parking, municipal buildings and cultural centers. He then showed the council a possible option for sign posts: A black pleaded base, or "skirt," with solid or pleated black portions extending upward, with a decorational top.

He also had samples of possible wayfaring signs with a blue background and gold letters, which he said was consistent with some existing signs that the borough cannot remove. He recommended that no more than four signs be clamped onto a single post, as in the example from Morristown included in the presentation.

DeNave said that he and Sweetin have spoken with representatives from the Chatham Borough Historical Society and the Planning Board in choosing the signs. The Historical Society, he said, is interested in placing a marker on top of the posts designating the appropriate spaces as the Historic District, which could be easily added without disrupting the uniformity of the posts—or requiring another sign.